How to be productive without making any decisions

written by  Ryan Seamons

What do you really want? is a weekly conversation to help you enjoy your work and not hate Monday.


You make 35,000 decisions a day. It’s no wonder decision fatigue is a real issue.

We are deciding ever moment.

Habit is action that doesn’t require decision.

Many well known successful people limit their wardrobe to avoid unnecessary decisions each day.

I recently came across a real application of this concept from a 20-year-old who has done exceptionally well at pest control summer sales.

He works hard, for sure. But more than that, he is intentional about his decisions and uses habitual routine at a very high level. Well worth the 5-minute watch:

What’s great about this routine is the number of decisions that he isn’t making. Each day he isn’t deciding:

  • If or how he will work out

  • What he eats for breakfast

  • When he starts and ends his day

  • How he approaches his work

  • If he slacks off or not

All of those decisions have been made already. He’s leaving his decision making power for the harder parts of a sales job.

It’s delegation for your mind. Taking something and changing it so that forevermore it doesn’t need to be worked on by your mind.

Repeated thought leads to action. Repeated action, when intentionally crafted, leads to success.

I’m not by any means perfect at this. Having 5 kids means that routine is often a luxury. But when I’m able to decide once vs every single time, it is obvious how much that mindset contributes to positive outcomes.

What could you decide to do each day to better accomplish your goals?


Routines can be especially helpful in marriage. #BeMarriedOnPurpose is a project my wife and I are launching on June 1st. It’s a free 30-day challenge + group to help married couples be more intentional about enjoying their relationship.

If marriage is one place you’d like to improve your habits, join the challenge for a fresh perspective to add some spark to your marriage.

e6a428e3-851c-428b-ab9c-a39f7b98b9fd_529x529-1437233

About the Author



Ryan Seamons
writes about more human approaches to modern management.

Join Patterns for weekly ideas about making work better.

Also check out Manager School to become a better manager.